The present invention relates to a soil working apparatus. The present invention is particularly suitable for use as a planting apparatus or a seeding apparatus to produce a definite seedbed tilth. This ensures positive seed soil contact, fast and even germination and excellent primary root growth for rapid plant establishment.
Planting or seeding of crops is traditionally carried out by ploughing a field and subsequently planting or seeding the field. Planting or seeding apparatus include soil working tools, such as points, discs or coulters, that disturb the soil. Seed or vegetative matter is dropped into the disturbed soil a short distance behind the soil working tool. In cases where rotatable soil working tools, such as discs or coulters, are used, a number of discs or coulters are mounted on a common axle. The discs or coulters are also mounted in an essentially vertical plane but at an angle to the direction of travel of the planting or seeding apparatus. The discs or coulters all have essentially the same orientation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved soil working apparatus.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a soil working apparatus having a sub-unit including at least one rotatable soil working means for disturbing soil in the direction of travel of said apparatus, said rotatable soil working means being oriented for obliquely passing through and beneath the surface of the soil, a sub assembly including a mounting beam mounted for rotation within said sub-unit having at least one oblique axle mounting for receiving an axle of said soil working means, said axle extending into said mounting at an angle offset from the direction of rotation of the longitudinal axis of the mounting beam, and at least one press wheel positioned beside and at least partially behind each of said at least one rotatable soil working means for pressing down the soil disturbed by said rotatable soil working means, each press wheel corresponding to at least one rotatable soil working means whereby rotation of said oblique axle mounting beam within said sub-unit changes the orientation of said soil working means relative to its respective press wheel.
In a preferred form, the soil working apparatus traverses a path across the surface of the soil in the direction of travel of the apparatus. Since the press wheel travels across the surface of the soil, the depth and angle of the rotatable soil working means relative to the surface of the soil may be set by adjustment of the position of the soil working means relative to the press wheel.
By positioning the press wheel beside and partially behind the soil working means, the press wheel is able to carry out three separate functions in its synchronous operation with the soil working means. These functions include,
(1) the ability to catch and control the disturbed soil as it rises with the trailing edge of the soil working means exiting the soil,
(2) the ability to establish the operating depth of the soil working means, and
(3) gently pressing the disturbed soil back over any planted seeds without overpressing or overcompaction of the soil.
It is preferable that a portion of the soil working means disturbs soil beneath at least a portion of the path of the press wheel during its rotation. It is desirable that the soil working means not pass beneath the full width of the path of the press wheel.
Through the combination of the soil working means and the press wheel, the soil working apparatus is able to disturb the soil to allow seeds to be planted with very little or no appreciable mixing of dry surface soil and moist subsurface soil. This maintains the moisture in the soil and provides the most optimal conditions for plant germination from seeds.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a soil working apparatus having a sub unit including a plurality of rotatable soil working means, each of the rotatable soil working means being oriented in an oblique plane and wherein one of the rotatable soil working means is in an opposed orientation to another of the rotatable soil working means, a mounting beam mounted for rotation within said sub unit having a plurality of oblique axle mountings for receiving an axle of each said soil working means, each axle extending into said mounting at an angle off set from the direction of rotation of the longitudinal axis of the mounting beam whereby rotation of said soil working means relative to its respective press wheel and at least one press wheel positioned at least partially behind the rotatable soil working means for pressing down soil disturbed by the rotatable soil working means.
Preferably, the rotatable soil working means are arranged in opposed pairs although single rotatable soil working means in combination with paired soil working means are within the scope of the invention. In either case, the oblique plane of the soil working means is angled towards the press wheel. In this way, the disturbed soil will be on the press wheel side of the soil working means.
As in the case of a single soil working means and press wheel, when at least one press wheel is used in combination with multiple soil working means, the press wheel:
(i) catches and controls the disturbed soil as it rises with the trailing edge of the soil working means,
(ii) establishes the working depth of the soil working means, and
(iii) gently presses the disturbed soil back over any planted seeds without overpressing or overcompaction of the soil.
The apparatus may further comprise connection means for connecting said apparatus to a superstructure or a tool carrying assembly. The connection means is preferably a support or a plurality of supports and a single support is usually sufficient for each sub unit. The support may be inserted into or received by a standard support-receiving box that is part of an assembly that is ultimately connected to a tractor or other towing vehicle. Other connection means may be used. It will be appreciated that the connection means will normally be held in a fixed orientation and preferably substantially vertical, when it is connected to the assembly that is connected to the tractor or other towing machine.
The apparatus preferably further comprises a sub-frame for connecting a number of sub-units together. The sub-frame may be connected to a superstructure or a tool carrying assembly by connection means.
Preferably, each sub-unit has two rotatable soil working means. The rotatable soil working means are preferably in an opposed orientation such that one of the rotatable soil working means is essentially a mirror image of the other.
It can be seen that the present invention may provide a soil working apparatus or a sub-unit for a soil working apparatus. For ease of fitting, modularity and to open up the possibility of retrofitting, the present invention is preferably in the form of a sub-unit for a soil working apparatus. For convenience, the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the embodiment of the invention as being a sub-unit. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to that particular embodiment. Indeed, the present invention extends to encompass soil working apparatus manufactured as an integral unit and having the features described herein.
In one preferred embodiment the rotatable soil working means are preferably mounted on a mounting beam that is preferably connected to a longitudinal member. By xe2x80x9clongitudinal memberxe2x80x9d, it is meant a member that extends substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the apparatus in use. The longitudinal member is preferably a shaft extending generally along a line of travel of the apparatus of the present invention. Preferably, the sub-unit of the present invention is provided with two rotatable soil working means and both of the rotatable soil working means are connected to the mounting beam. Even more preferably, each of the rotatable soil working means are fixed to a stub axle, with each stub axle fixed to and projecting from the mounting beam. The stub axles may extend at an angle offset from the vertical plane and at an angle to the direction of travel in order to provide the desired orientation of the rotatable soil working means. The angle of the stub axles and thus the soil working means to the direction of travel is adjustable depending on the orientation desired.
The mounting beam that carries the rotatable soil working means is preferably pivotally connected to the longitudinal member about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal member. The sub-unit may further include a first adjustment means for adjusting the position of the mounting around the pivotal connection point of the mounting beam to the longitudinal member. By adjusting the first adjustment means, the gap or opening between the two rotatable soil working means at soil entry level may be increased or decreased and the angle of the rotatable soil working means to the direction of travel may be increased or decreased. This enables control and adjustment of soil tilth and width of the tilled zone.
It is preferred that each of the rotatable soil working means is provided with its own press-wheel. Thus, a sub-unit having two rotatable soil working means may have a press-wheel for each soil working means or a single press wheel with a rotatable soil working means arranged on either side of the press wheel cutting towards that press wheel. The press wheels are usually located at least partially behind and beside their corresponding rotatable soil working means. The press wheels may be carried by a press wheel beam connected to the longitudinal member.
The sub-units of the present invention preferably will fit into existing parallelogram controlled assemblies which enables retrofitting of the sub-units to existing machinery. Alternatively, the present invention may be manufactured as a complete apparatus or as a stand alone unit.
The longitudinal member is preferably arranged such that, in use, it can rotate about its longitudinal axis. This would allow the press wheels and rotatable soil working means to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal member. Thus, if one of the rotatable soil working means encounters an obstacle or runs across uneven ground, it can lift upwardly by rotating around the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal member. This feature assists in obtaining constant depth working of the soil and minimizes the chance of breakage due to hitting rocks, stumps and the like.
The apparatus of the present invention is preferably used as a seeding apparatus or planting apparatus. Accordingly, the apparatus may further comprise supply means for supplying seed, vegetative matter and/or other beneficial agents to soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working means. Preferably, the supply means comprises one or more tubes having an outlet located a short distance above the level of soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working means or even extending into the momentary void in the soil created by passage of the soil working rotatable means therethrough. Seed and fertilizer tubes may extend below the original surface, but seed and fertilizer tubes may only operate on the undisturbed side of the coulters.
It will be appreciated that orientation of the rotatable soil working means in an oblique plane and at an angle to the direction of travel of the apparatus will cause the soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working means to be moved upwardly and laterally by the rotatable soil working means by always towards the press wheel. This will create a momentary void in the soil in the vicinity of a rear part of the rotatable soil working means and the supply means is preferably located such that it supplies seed, vegetative matter or other beneficial agents to that momentary void.
The provision of a press wheel associated with preferably each of the rotatable soil working means ensures that the rotatable soil working means do not throw the worked soil any appreciable distance. Moreover, the press wheels not only act to control the depth of working of the rotatable soil working means, but they also act to catch and press down the disturbed soil onto the seed or other vegetative matter that has been supplied to the worked soil. This assists in germination because of better seed/soil contact.
In some circumstances, the press wheel may be moved further rearward relative to the soil working means. In this way some of the soil is moved to the side, creating a furrow along which the trailing press wheel travels. As seeds can then be planted at the bottom of the furrow in front of the trailing preferably narrower press wheel, this arrangement has the advantage of planting seeds closer to the soil moisture level without increasing the depth of soil covering the seedlings after germination.
It should be noted that even though the press wheel is moved further rearward, the path of the press wheel is still beside the rotatable soil working means and so the press wheel is still considered to be behind and beside the rotatable soil working means.
In another embodiment, the apparatus may include a chassis means, with said sub unit including said rotatable soil working means and said press wheels being attached, either directly or indirectly, to the chassis means. The chassis means may be adjustable in a transverse direction in order to allow the width of the apparatus to be adjusted. The rotatable soil working means are mounted to a sub-unit and the sub-unit may be mounted to the chassis means. Preferably, each rotatable soil working means is mounted to its own sub-unit. The sub-unit or sub-units are preferably pivotally mounted to the chassis means in a manner similar to that described above. This allows for adjustment of the angle of the rotatable soil working means relative to the corresponding press wheel or wheels by rotational adjustment of the mounting beam with the sub-units.
It is also preferred that the sub-unit including the rotatable soil working means and the press wheels can rotate in a plane that is transverse to the direction of travel of the apparatus in order to allow the rotatable soil working means and the press wheels to move generally upwardly or downwardly in the event that an obstruction or uneven ground is encountered. In this regard, the movement of the rotatable soil working means and press wheels is similar to the oscillations of the rotatable soil working means and the press wheels in a previously described embodiment.
If an adjustable chassis means is provided, the adjustable chassis may include a plurality of generally longitudinally extending members interconnected by at least one transverse connecting member, said at least one transverse connecting member being of adjustable length. Preferably, the at least one transverse connecting member is a telescopic member.
The invention will now be described with reference to preferred embodiments of a soil working apparatus having one or two rotatable soil working means in association with a corresponding press wheel.